Dublin Overview

Places to visit with your car rental

Once you have picked up your Dublin hire car, you’ll be ready to get out and explore. The city centre is compact and can be explored on foot, but if you plan on getting out into fringe neighbourhoods or the more distant countryside, you’re definitely going to want to have a hire car.

Visitors are often advised not to rent a car if they are only staying in Dublin. There is merit to this, given the sometimes-confusing network of one-way streets. It’s important to stay out of bus lanes, as well, as this can incur fines during peak travel periods. However, public transport isn’t as convenient as it ought to be in Dublin. Taxis queue at ranks and can seldom be flagged down curb-side, and the bus schedule can be tedious.

For those who intend to see more than the city centre, there is ample cause to hire a vehicle in Dublin City. Two main motorways access the city: the M1 and the M50. The M1 heads north from near the city centre and follows the coast up to Dundalk, Newry and, eventually, Belfast. The M50 takes a wide arc around the west side of the city and provides access to a network of secondary motorways. From here, you can connect virtually anywhere in Ireland by car.

Bear in mind that crossing River Liffey on the M50 requires taking the Westlink Bridge, which is a toll bridge. The toll varies depending on the vehicle and the method of payment. If you pass the gate without paying, a camera will take a photograph of your registration plate, and the toll needs to be paid before the end of the next day.